Unspeakable
by Tabby J Skylark
Summary: Difficult to describe. Two Unspeakables try and unravel the backgrounds of some Harry Potter characters who are all shockingly connected. Guess who? Not what you'd expect!
1. Sun, Shade, Shadow and Storm

UNSPEAKABLE  
  
Chapter One: Sun, Shade, Shadow and Storm  
  
***  
  
Precious baby giggles rolled over the gorgeous garden from the open Manor windows, the afternoon warm and sunny. Bird twittering served as charming accompaniment, as a young woman of unreal attractiveness waited patiently in the front hall.   
  
"How could this beautiful baby boy…" the lovely lady with ghostly gray eyes trailed off, staring sadly at the giggling image of an infant with smiling, sparking eyes. Her perfect visage smiled fondly at the adorable face and tiny hands. The nursling stopped its delighted tittering and started sucking its hand, traditional baby behavior. It suddenly squealed with baby joy and started flailing and fluttering its arms merrily, laughing again.   
  
Unspeakable Storm had worked for the Ministry several years now and still couldn't force her deep love for babies out of her professional life. Storm stared at the baby for several moments, trying to determine his age, until a voice surprised her from behind, "He was six months."   
  
Storm's shiny raven hair whirled as she turned to face the lady of the house, who was holding a gray and white cat, her expression that of long-term despondency. She stroke the golden eyed feline and resumed, "Good morning, Inspector. How can I help you now?" She sounded so distant and hollow.   
  
Storm was familiar with the manor, having been there many times before, posing as merely a Ministry Inspector. She had been working on this particular case and all cases connected to it for months now. The bizarre house elf had shown her in, as he had many times before. She always waited patiently admiring the child as the lady of the house was fetched. "Yes, I'm looking for…"   
  
"She's in the garden, Inspector." The older woman turned to lead the way, even though Storm was well aware of where the garden was and what was implied in that seemingly simple statement…   
  
***  
  
Shady Storm approached a middle aged woman who was on her knees in the beautiful backyard garden humming cheerfully with a pair of hedge clippers. She sensed the Unspeakable's presence without looking up and her cheerful mood faltered ever so slightly. "Good morning, my dear. How are you?"  
  
"Very good, Marilyn. And yourself?…" She started to ask.   
  
"Wonderful, dear! You're right on time! We're expecting Quin any moment now." She resumed her cheerful snipping and clipping. Storm had expected this, for every time this woman gardened, she was expecting her son. Storm watched the woman garden in her traditional manner for a few moments, snipping the pretty blossoms off all the flowers. "Thought I'd better tidy up out here for Quin." She added, as she continued to snip all the flowers away.  
  
Storm exchanged a quick expression with the lady of the house, who was this woman's older sister, before starting to speak, "Mrs…"   
  
The cheerful woman in a sun hat suddenly wasn't so cheerful. She interrupted, "Inspector Shadow is hiding in the car again, I see."  
  
Storm refused to let herself even smirk. "Yes, well…"  
  
"Inspector Shadow deserves to burn and rot in Hell." the gardener said somehow both casual and firm at the same time. She started to snip with more force, clearly angry inside.   
  
"Well, I…"  
  
"He's a liar." Marilyn stopped clipping and turned suddenly, speaking sharply. "My son is a good boy."  
  
"Of course he is, we…"  
  
"He's a good boy." she repeated, ardently.   
  
As she resumed her gardening, Storm ventured, "I'd just like a ask you a few…"  
  
"No more questions. No more! He's a good boy!"  
  
"Of course he is. It's nothing like that." she lied. "I was just curious about his schooling…"  
  
Marilyn was still suspicious though. "His schooling? Well…" she couldn't resist, "My son was very bright, you know."  
  
"He was very bright. Brilliant." Storm smiled warmly.  
  
This worked better than any Tell All Charm could. The proud mother was totally taken in and began to spill, "My son was very social. Just like his father. He went to Hogwarts and was a part of all that went on there. Very social. Very popular. Would you like to see his picture?" she produced a reasonably large photo of a young man Storm has seen many times before from basket and smiled proudly. "Beautiful, wasn't he?"  
  
Storm smiled, recalling the first time she'd seen this smiling face. She'd been completely shocked by how handsome the young man had been before…   
  
His mother continued, "Yes, quite the looker. Always had pretty girls here during the summer…"  
  
"He's gorgeous." Storm was sincere as she handed the picture back.  
  
"While he wasn't as handsome or as popular as his best friend, Gil, but he was easily smarter. Sure, Gil was Prom King, but my son was Head Boy."  
  
BINGO. "Gil?" Storm was careful.  
  
"Yes, Gil. Gil and Rick were my son's best friends growing up. Rick was the athlete of the group. Not very bright and rather plain… but certainly a sports nut. He was Captain of the Quidditch team."   
  
"Which house?" Storm was on the right track now.  
  
"I'm really not sure. I assume the same as Quin and Gil… Ravenclaw. However, Rick doesn't strike me as the wise, knowledge seeking type. He seemed more like a Griffyndor to me, I guess. Now that I think of it… Gil doesn't strike me as a Raven…"  
  
"So, Gil and Rick were your sons best friend's at Hogwarts?"  
  
"Oh yes." she smiled, remembering. "The three were inseparable."  
  
"What were there last names? What did they look like?" the Unspeakable tried to come across casual, but knew she was failing miserably because the older sister, Sarah, had a nervous visage now.   
  
The younger sister hadn't failed to notice either, as she worked away, destroying the next lovely rose bush. She started to shut down. "I really can't remember. In fact, I've told you just about all I know about the boys. Nice boys. Good boys. My son is a good boy."  
  
Storm was losing her, "I'm curious to see what Gil and Rick looked like… you wouldn't happen to have any old yearbooks around, would you?"  
  
Marilyn hesitated for a moment before rising slowly, "Yes, several. I've kept all my baby's school things up for him. His room is all ready for him. He'll be home any moment now."   
  
"Could I please see his yearbooks?" the detective was hopeful.  
  
"I suppose." she set down her hedge clippers. "There are some very personal things in them though." She added in a whisper, "Some of those pretty girls had very dirty mouths."  
  
***  
  
Marilyn opened the first year book and smiled warmly, "I dust these at least once a day. Never wanted Quin to pop in and find his things a mess. Everything must be kept up for him, you know."   
  
The loving mother brushed his premature gray hair from her smiling blue eyes as she flipped to a picture of her son, "Here he is. Page 121." There was a large message written across the huge black and white image of her smiling son, who was holding a beautiful blond girl. "She was a nice and pretty girl. Dirty mouth though." For across the picture read the large red message: QUIN IN A SEXY BITCH! It was surrounded by hearts. "Quin assured me that was a good thing… but I just don't know…" she added as she turned the page.  
  
"That's Gil…" she pointed to a very handsome young man, with blond hair that framed his face nicely. He was wearing a cowboy hair and smiling the most sexy smile Storm had ever seen.  
  
"Here he is again on 246…" Marilyn turned to said page and showed a picture of Gil with his arm around her son like a brother. "They were so tight." Storm looked closely at the blonde's face… his hair wasn't long or short… it just framed his face nicely.   
  
She looked at his face long and hard until something clicked. She'd found her man. Before she could stop herself she muttered, "He smiled without showing his teeth?"  
  
"Yes, I never understood that." the mother admitted, turning to another picture of Gil with a cowboy hat - a style that complimented his hair perfectly. "He had the most amazing smile ever made… and yet, he was so self conscious about his teeth. Oh well."  
  
"What about Rick?" Storm reminded her, having confirmed Gil.  
  
"Let's see…" Marilyn flipped randomly through the thick yearbook, until she hit a large picture of a robust young man. He had dark hair and eyes, but it was impossible to determine the colour of anything in a black and white image. He was dancing for joy around the image. His team had just won the house cup, it seemed. There was a caption underneath… Storm read it and memorized the names.   
  
"Sarah, bring this young lady some of my freshly baked cookies…" the woman holding the book beside her broke through her thoughts suddenly. Sad Sarah hesitantly left for the kitchen. Storm understood exactly why…  
  
When Quin's aunt returned with a freshly baked tray of delicious smelling ginger cookies… Storm saw nothing changed. The cookies were all shaped in horrible, negative images. However, Marilyn didn't even realize it. "I baked a fresh batch up, for I know how much my baby loves his gingerbread."  
  
Storm took the only decent looking snap, a smiley face that wasn't smiling. It looked very angry. Hateful, in fact. All the others were too terrible to even consider eating. She could just image all these cookies wrapped up and in tins, piling up in the kitchen and pantry. This woman made cookies nearly every day and they were scarcely ate. Her own sister tried not to eat them. They tasted foul.   
  
Shady Storm forced down the cookie, chatted with Marilyn for a few more moments about her son and then excused herself, heading back to her car, where her partner was waiting impatiently, having finished his coffee and doughnuts.   
  
***  
  
"Well?" Unspeakable Shadow was hopeful as she hopped into the passenger side. "What's the word?"  
  
Storm smirked, "She knows your in the car, Sunny. You're letting her get the better of you. She thinks you're afraid of her now."  
  
"I'm not afraid of that batty old woman. BUT, if I ever set another step on the property, Shade, she'll be provoked and not tell us a thing ever again. She'll clam up and get pissed. PLUS, she's dangerous when she's angry - you know it. She should be in an asylum. I feel sorry for her sister. Decent lady to take her in, isn't she?"  
  
Storm sighed, ignoring the question. "I admit. She's creepy. More often than not, I wish I could stay in the car too…"  
  
"Spill." Her partner interrupted. "What'd she say?"  
  
Storm grinned, "His best friend was GIL."   
  
Sunny Shadow laughed triumphantly as they pulled away. "Bingo."   
  
***  
  
"Maverick…" Storm was on the phone. "Get me everything you've got on a guy named Ricky Wood."   
  
As she hung up, Sunny sipped a pop, "Who? Personal?"  
  
"No, case related. His other best friend."   
  
"Ah…" Sunny leaned back in his chair. There was a long silence and he glanced at his agenda. "I've got another Parent-Teacher Meeting…"  
  
"Casey?" Storm sat down, putting her high healed feet and shapely legs up on the desk. She was familiar with her partners children and his middle daughter's recent troubles at school.   
  
"Again." he snorted, tossing his pop.  
  
"Recycle…" Storm muttered, annoyed. "What this time?" she added.  
  
"Swearing and biting, I think." Sunny sighed, leaning back in his chair. They were silent for a long while before he added, "I just don't understand it. We've tried everything with that kid."   
  
Shady was silent and they listened to the fan…  
  
Suddenly, Sunny started to chuckle - he just couldn't let it go. "Witch's Weekly's Most Handsome Smile Award five times running and he hates his smile…" 


	2. Rick, Rex... Right-o!

CHAPTER TWO: Rick, Rex... Right-o!   
  
Shady watched Sunny finish his second drink and smiled. Shadow was quite the character. He was an reasonably attractive black man, with a loving wife and three children at home. What was he doing working in the Mysteries section of the Ministry? It was risky work for such a wonderful family man. A young single like herself was perfect for the position though. What did she have to loss? Who would she leave behind?  
  
The phone rang, startling her. Sunny made a grab for it, but she beat him, dropping her legs and snatching up the receiver. She smirked at him and answered. It was Maverick. She slammed the phone down and grabbed her jacket. "Let's move."  
  
"Lead?" he followed suit, forgetting to recycle again.   
  
"We're gonna have another little chat." She informed him, nodding. "This time you don't have to cower in the car."  
  
"Ricky Wood?" Sun ignored this as he turned out the light and locked up the office behind them.  
  
"Right-o." she pulled out their car keys.   
  
***  
  
"Inspectors" Shadow and Storm pulled up in an old farm yard - a large barking dog the only soul to greet them. They exchanged glances and approached the front porch. Sunny knocked, "Hello?" he called.   
  
They waited a few moments and turned to leave. Storm sighed, disappointed. She noticed suddenly her partner had stopped walking and was looking behind them. She turned, her black hair whipping in the wind and noticed an older farmer approaching with a pitch fork.   
  
"Hello there!" he called, panting a little as he reached them. "You folks in need of assistance?" he sounded a little intimidated.  
  
"Indeed, sir." Sunny smiled. In unison he and his partner produced their badges. "Inspectors Sunny Shadow and Shady Storm, Ministry of Magic."  
  
"Oh no!" the farmer panicked. "If its about the car… it's not mine, I swear… I…"  
  
"Please, relax, sir." Storm almost laughed. "We're just hear to ask Ricky a few questions. Does Ricky Wood in fact live here?"  
  
"Ricky?" the older man looked surprised. For a moment the Unspeakables figured they had the wrong address, but then the farmer continued with, "What do you want with Ricky?"  
  
"We just want to ask him a few questions about a friend from school - nothing serious." Sunny reassured him, smiling.  
  
The farmer didn't smile back. "Ricky's been dead for years."  
  
***  
  
"That was a waste of time." Sunny sighed, lifting his shades as they stopped for gas. The sun had turned blinding. "How were we to know Mr. Wood was so sensitive about the issues of his dead son?"   
  
"You're so tactless sometimes, Sun." she sighed.  
  
"Fill 'er, please." Sunny turned back to his partner, "What?!"  
  
"That's why Marilyn can't stand you either. You brutally offended her. Accident or not - you raised issues she just can't handle. She's…"  
  
"She's insane, Shady. She thinks, after all these years, her dead son in just gonna walk through the front door. She thinks gardening is all about killing flowers. She cuts the heads off gorgeous tulips and roses, thinking that's normal - that that's RIGHT. Her cookies look Satanic and are poisonous. She tried to run me right through with those damn hedge clippers! She refuses to acknowledge the fact her son was an evil traitor who's LONG dead and NEVER coming back."   
  
"She woke up one morning and learned her son was dead. She woke up one morning and learned that her son was the greatest traitor of all time. She just… snapped. She lost it." Shady hesitated. "Show a little pity, please. The poor woman has been utterly destroyed by all this and our poking around raising these issues…"   
  
"How was I to know she'd freak out like that, Shade? I just ask her some very simple questions and she…"  
  
"There were less blunt, more careful ways to ask, Sunny. More tactful, more considerate ways. Rick's father refused to really answer any of our questions because…"  
  
"All right. All right. I'm sorry." Sunny admitted as he paid and pulled away. "I can be a little insensitive at times. … SO, what now?"  
  
"Well…" she hesitated. "We could always go to the Asylum and…"  
  
"See about signing in Marilyn Q-" he started to joke, before she swatted him silent.   
  
"NO." she tried not to smile at that. "We can check in on our biggest and more or less ONLY lead."   
  
***  
  
"I AM THE GREAT BLACK ZETO!!!" someone was shrieking at the other end of the hall. All the other patients in sight were either chatting quietly amongst themselves or watching television. All the same, institutions always gave Shady the creeps. The few patients that screamed… they just… hit a note with her. They pushed a personal, unpleasant button…   
  
The supervising guards motioned them through… "Third door on the right." one instructed.   
  
Sunny nodded, leading his partner. He'd been in the business many years longer and had become almost immune to the sights and smells of the different local asylums. Occasionally, however, even he was uncomfortable… the key was not to let it show.   
  
They entered, noting their lead had been moved yet again. There sat an extremely handsome gentleman. He wasn't wearing a straight jacket or white clothing though. He was dressed normally and writing away passionately at his desk.   
  
"Hey, guys." He stopped writing suddenly and turned to face them. "How are ya? It's been a while…"   
  
"We're fine, Rex. You?" Sunny smiled as they sat down.  
  
"Can't complain. Still breathing." Rex shrugged. "What's up?"  
  
"Just checking in." Shady smiled, lost in his beautiful eyes and handsome smile. He was SO dreamy and finally lacking the annoying ego.  
  
"How's your memory coming?"  
  
Rex sighed, "Well… they've pretty much determined it's permanent. Many of these cases can be reversed… but… Gilderoy was apparently very powerful when it came to Memory Charms…"  
  
"So there's no hope?" Shady was only disappointed on a professional level, because they desperately needed his information. On a personal level, she was glad because Rex was great guy. He looked just like the gorgeous Gilderoy, only he wasn't a loser. This guy had a winning personality AND the most sexy appearance imaginable…  
  
Rex shrugged, "Sorry. I know you needed Gilderoy's memories. I do have some good news for you, though. The pictures you showed me. The name you mentioned. They did trigger something, I think."  
  
Storm and Shadow looked very surprised. Gilderoy's own mother hadn't triggered anything. "What?" they nearly gasped together.  
  
"Nothing at all major, obviously. Just… an old floor board… I don't know. It's strange, really. It was at least something though - and I thought you should know. Anything might be useful, you did say."  
  
"That's all, Rex?" Sunny nodded gratefully.  
  
"Sorry, guys. I'll keep trying for you though. This Quin IS familiar to me though. You were right about that much…"  
  
"He should be. He was your best friend."  
  
Rex smiled, "Really? I have a best friend out there?"  
  
"You had two."  
  
"Why haven't they been to see me in here? It's terribly lonely. They might be able to help with my memory and…"  
  
"Rex." Sunny stopped him. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Oh." The former Gilderoy frowned. "We aren't friends anymore."  
  
"No, no, Rex…" Sunny tried to be tactful. "They're dead."   
  
There was a very long, sad silence, in which Rex rolled himself to the window and stared at the butterflies in the garden below. Shady felt a horrible pang of sorrow for him. He'd reacted in a similar manner when he'd been informed his father and brother we're dead.  
  
Sunny would note later in the car, "It reminds me of my grandfather's last years. He had Alzheimer… the memory loss, you know? It was so devastating for my mom to have to remind him every time we visited him that Grandma was dead. The look on his face every time… It was so horrible. Every single time. It's still horrible to me."  
  
Finally, the former Gilderoy Lockhart turned, composing himself for them… though it was clear he was giving up inside. "I've been thinking. There's someone you haven't interviewed you really should…"   
  
***  
  
The sound of slamming car doors outside awoke a blond young woman. She hurried to throw a house coat around herself and reached the door just in time to open it for two unexpected guests.   
  
"Mrs. Smyth?" An intimdating black man with a badge smiled warmly. He was standing with a pretty white girl who was thankfully less intimdating. "Inspectors Shadow and Storm from the Ministry. We'd just like to ask you a few questions."  
  
"My husband isn't home…" she tried not to panic. "Can you please come back later when he is. I…"  
  
"We're sorry to disturb you. We'd just like to ask you a few questions about your brother, Mrs. Smyth…" Shady tried to reassure her. "There's nothing to worry about."  
  
"My brother is dead." the young woman swallowed nervously.  
  
"Not Jeff. Gilderoy." was Sunny's reply.  
  
"BOTH my brother's are dead." she tried to shut the door. Sunny blocked it and Storm found herself thinking him tactless again.   
  
Sunny, very fond of Rex, started in on her. "Technically, yes, Gilderoy Lockhart is dead. Rex Lockhart is very much alive though. He's sitting in the local Asylum and he's your brother, Mrs. Smyth…"   
  
The young lady's expression was unchanged. Sunny had on more than one occasion pointed out how much he detested the lack of feeling this woman displayed for her ruined brother.   
  
Sun sighed… noticing Shade's expression, "Please, we're just trying to do our job. Gilderoy isn't in trouble and neither are you. We just need some information."   
  
Leslie Smyth, formerly known as Leslie Lockhart, brushed her messy hair from her face and invited them uneasily in. "Sorry. People are always around here harassing us about Gil. Day and night. Day in and day out. Gilderoy this. Gilderoy that. Things have gotten a zillion times worse since he died. It's been tough enough without those loony fanatics and press people always at the door…"   
  
They all sat down and her eyes were wet. She looked so nervous, but it wasn't until she unexpected starting spilling her guts the detectives realized she'd just been carrying a lot of baggage and was finally willing to drop it, hoping to leave it behind.   
  
"Mrs. Smyth…"  
  
"Call me Leslie…" and then she began, "I don't know what to say to you, Inspectors… I've lost both my brother's now. Not that Gil was ever much of a brother. Well, that's not really fair… well, maybe it is. I don't know. What exactly do you want to know?"  
  
Shady patted her hand, "Gil was a super model for years and then… suddenly he went off on some quests and became a writer. What happened?"   
  
"Jeff died. Gil was never the same after that. Jeff was killed in a car crash. Everyone blamed Gil for it, especially Gil himself. Jeff left a family get-together really pissed off at Gil and well… never drive when emotions are high, they say."  
  
"I'm sorry." Shady squeezed her hand.   
  
"Jeff ran right up a tree. Died instantly."   
  
Sunny cringed. He hated car accidents - having lost a close cousin in a particularly bad wreck. "And Gil blamed himself?"  
  
"Totally. He went away for years and years. He eventually started writing about his adventures. He was always such a damn good writer. Only reason he was placed in Ravenclaw. Damn smart with the quill, that one. He claimed his stories were true… but I never believed them. He always wrote so convincingly, with such light hearted humor… but STILL it always seemed to me like just another piece of creative writing he'd made up to enter in some contest. He let me read some of his stuff growing up… pure fiction. It seemed just like his adult works."  
  
"Turns out he DID make it all up." Shady said quietly.  
  
"Worse. He stole other people's experiences and wrote about them. It wasn't even his own imagination anymore. He became obsessed with stories of the Dark Arts and well… started stealing them. I was so ashamed. We were ALL ashamed."  
  
"All because he accidentally killed his brother? His extreme depression fueled an obsession with the dark elements?"  
  
Leslie didn't answer… she stared off, lost in thought… "His memory charms were really something… Nobody could touch him. Nobody." She suddenly seemed to hear the questions and snapped back to the present, "Yes, yes… his ego was out of control after that. I mean, it had always been there… that's what he and Jeff were always fighting about… but… after Jeff was killed in the crash… everything got worse."  
  
"Jeff and Gilderoy fought about his ego?" Shady asked gently.  
  
Leslie nodded, staring off. "And his selfishness."   
  
Sunny sighed, not sure what to ask. "What else can you tell us about your brother, Leslie?"   
  
"My brother was a fraud." She managed to whimper. "An ignorant, arrogant fraud!" There was a long pause before she added, "And now everyone knows it and they won't leave us alone."  
  
"Rex Lockhart is the loneliest soul alive. Why don't you visit your brother?" Shady was saddened. Sunny wouldn't have asked as nicely.   
  
Leslie didn't answer. She was staring out the window, eyes wet.  
  
"Surely Rex doesn't deserve to punished for Gilderoy's mistakes… and even Gilderoy didn't mean to hurt anyone. He didn't intend for Jeff to die on the road that night. He didn't intend to drag you into his mess of fraudulence… and even if he DID do it all intentionally, Leslie… REX can't help that. Rex didn't bring your family shame." Shade went on.  
  
"Rex is a stranger." Leslie muttered, blinking back tears.  
  
"He doesn't have to be though." she insisted.  
  
"Sounds like Gil was a stranger." Sunny noted, blunt.  
  
Leslie sniffled for a moment and then looked up suddenly, growing angry, "What was it you people came her for? What do you want from me? You said you wanted information… but instead you're acting like reporters! Why are you bothering me about Gil or Rex or whoever the Hell he thinks he is!? Visit him - not me!! You're just like everyone else!!"  
  
"Please, Leslie… we're sorry. We'll cut to the chase. We realize this must be painful for you… rehashing all this, but…"  
  
"You realize nothing! If you were at all considerate you wouldn't be here… prying into my life and…"  
  
"Rex sent us to you, Leslie. All this time he kept you from us. He didn't mention you because he knows you want nothing more to do with him … or Gilderoy. However, knowing we're at the very end of out ropes, he told us about you."  
  
"Why?" Leslie's lip trembled and her eyes continued to tear up.  
  
"He felt you'd remember things he can't now." Sunny explained, trying to be sensitive. "Stuff about his past… at school."  
  
"School?" Leslie was surprised. "This isn't about his fame and fortune? His stupid books?"  
  
"Not at all." Shady patted her hand again. "We just want to ask some questions about his friends growing up. People he hung out with all the time and Hogwarts. This is about THEM… not so much him."   
  
"What do you want to know? My brother socialized with a lot of different people back at school. He was really popular."  
  
"So we've heard. Prom King and all that." Sunny confirmed. "Who were his closest friends though? His BEST friends?"  
  
"Oh… um…" she thought. "I really didn't have much to do with my brother at school… but he was good friends with the sports star - Ricky Wood. Ricky was over at the house a few times. He hit on me… at the time I thought he was really intimidating though. It's a shame about Rick though… he died."   
  
"So we've heard." Sunny repeated. "How did the late Rick Wood die, Leslie? Do you know?"  
  
"I'm really not sure." she admitted after a second's thought. "Probably fell off his broomstick. He was a Quidditch fanatic."  
  
"Oh. I see." Shady sighed, wishing someone could answer their questions. "Did your brother have a friend who was Head Boy?"  
  
"Oh! Quin… He was such a good guy. When I was a freshman the other girls were always teasing me and well… (it was probably the only nice thing Gilderoy ever did for me in school) … but Gil got his good buddy Quin to take me to the Semi-Formal that year. Even though Quin had every girl around wanting him as a date, he went with little old me. He was such a nice guy. He treated me like gold. After that night, the other girls stopped teasing me. In fact, I was popular suddenly. Only because I was connected to the two hottest guys at school, though."  
  
"So, you remember Quin then? Can you tell us anymore about him?"  
  
"Not really. He was head boy, as you said. He was Caucasian. Tall and reasonably buff. Not like Ricky Wood or anything though. He was very handsome… jet black hair and these soft brown eyes. He was very friendly and popular. He was so much nicer than my brother. Down to earth, that one. I don't understand how they were such good friends. Quin knew how to treat a lady. My brother was such a PLAYER. Quin was brilliant and my brother was well… my brother…"  
  
"Can you tell us anything more about Quin?" Sun asked, having finally found their focus. Someone to give them more information about their case…  
  
"Yes, what happened to him after school?" Shade zoomed in.  
  
"I really can't say. He was a brilliant student in the Dark Arts. Then again, I hear he was a brilliant student in everything. The only reason Dark Arts sticks out in my mind is… my brother was into it. He and Gil would always talk about stuff like that. It was the only thing Gil seemed intellectual about. Actually, ya… THAT was probably the root of their friendship…"   
  
"Interesting." Sunny smiled at Shady. "Tell us more, Leslie…"  
  
"Well… after school he and Gilderoy kept in touch, of course. Gil became a model obviously… but Quin wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life. He was into Dark Arts Research and hoped to make a career in that field, I think. It's hard to say. I've never really thought about Quin at all. He wasn't part of my life once he graduated and he was scarcely a part of it before that."   
  
Leslie looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing, "Someone once mentioned to me though… that he took a year or so off from his research and went to see the world. I doubted it was true, though. After school, Quin and his dad had a fall out, you see, and well, Quin was cut off from the generous family funds he was use to. There's no way he could have afforded an excursion like that."  
  
"He surprisingly did see the world for a year. Only, his motive for that year off is still very sketchy, as well as his method payment." Shadow replied, thinking. "It was one of the things we hoped you could help us out with."   
  
"Why? Is Quin the one in trouble?" Leslie realized. When they had starting focusing on her brother's old best friend… she'd assumed Quin had gone missing and they were trying to find him. However, now she wasn't sure. It sounded like he wasn't in danger… in trouble…  
  
"He's dead, Leslie." Shadow was blunt.  
  
Leslie gasped, "What?" She was silent for a moment before something seemed to click, "Oh! You're investigating his murder. My brother adored Quin, I swear. He would never… Jeff was an accident… Gilderoy wouldn't…" she trailed off, not making sense.   
  
Sunny was almost touched - almost. After all she'd been through and as much as acted cold and hard towards her older brother - Leslie still was trying to protect him. "No, no. We're not after Gil. We told you that. We are investigating Quin's death… but not in the way you're probably thinking."  
  
Shady nodded and Sunny knew it was time to ask, "Was your brother a supporter of You-Know-Who?"  
  
Leslie yelped in terror and shook her head 'NO' furiously before she found her voice. "NO! He would never get wrapped up in anything like that. Sure, he was interested in studying Dark Magic and werewolves, vampires, hags… and that stuff… but he wanted NOTHING to do with THAT horrible… NO… my brother would never betray… He wasn't a traitor."  
  
"We didn't think so." Shady was careful. "Keep in mind Rex would never be punished for what the deceased Gilderoy Lockhart did. Therefore, telling us the truth won't hurt anyone."  
  
"I am telling the truth." Leslie was now trembling slightly.  
  
Sunny added, blunt as ever, "Excellent. Never doubted you for a second. NOW, do you know if Quin had anything to do with You-Know-Who?"  
  
"I have no idea…" Leslie shuddered. "I… I highly doubt it though. He was such a decent sort. Good and kind. Not one to get mixed up in all that. No, I can safely say Quin wasn't a traitor."  
  
"Is there anything more you can tell us about him?"  
  
"Not that I can think of… off the top of my head. Just that once he left to see the World… I never heard a word about him until this very conversation. I don't really know anything about him. Didn't really know him. I can tell you this though - I'm SO sorry to hear he's dead now. He was a really sweet fellow. A really great guy."   
  
The others nodded, rising as she showed them to the door.   
  
Shady shook Leslie's hand. "Thank you very much for your time."  
  
"If you think of anything else… anything at all… please call us." Sunny handed their number to the blond girl. "Good night, Mrs. Smyth."  
  
Leslie silently closed the door behind them and leaned against it, crying… After a moment, she pulled herself together and went into the old back room of her house. She unlocked the bottom drawer of an unused desk and pulled out a picture just like the one Marilyn carried with her everywhere in a basket.   
  
Quin smiled at her and she was mortified. "Why didn't I tell?" she whispered to the moving photograph.   
  
***   
  
A/N: Strange, sad story... yes. Oh well. Bet you figured it all out long ago, right? ^_^   
  
I might rewrite this someday. I'm not liking it. lol   
  
What do YOU think? 


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